Tag Archives: Geese

This morning I had the blessed opportunity to awake early and treat myself to a little Father’s Day treat by getting out on this moist humid morning and scoring a few joy points with nature. I had actually hoped to catch the sunrise as those during this time of year can be spectacular with all of the moisture in the air. But alas, there were clouds that rolled in.

“Herry” my Blue Heron friend

Nevertheless, I took advantage of the morning and spent some time with my friend “Herry” the Blue Heron (who was very patient with me as I took nearly 70 photos of him or her).

I sat there for almost 30 minutes just observing and photographing Herry while he/she just put up with me. I was literally 7 or 8 feet away, which just amazed me, because these are typically nervous birds. Following are a few shots I got of this magnificent bird over the course of the morning at Jacobson Park in Lexington.

Herry finally flew off…

But then landed close by on the shore. Obviously fishing…

Herons were not the only birds out there at the lake. As I drove up to one section of the lake, I witnessed something I had never seen before and that was a line of geese entering the water one at a time and forming a long straight flotilla of geese. They did it in an orderly fashion and it was amazing to watch.

Beautiful morning on the lake

Geese get in the water, in line, one at a time

Geese all in a row

Speaking of geese, just before sunrise as it was getting lighter, I took a picture of the geese in my flash went off. Talk about an eerie picture with a bunch of glowing eyes!

Glowing Geese!

I also saw a pair of ducks with coloration that I had not seen in ducks.

Unique duck

Then there were the two copycat, or should I say copy duck, mallards that were in the same pose standing in the middle-of-the-road.

Copy-ducks…

After scoring a few joy points watching the birds, I decided to take a ride back into horse farm country and, while there, I got a couple of nice glimpses of horse farms and a bit of a blurry sunrise. There was a slight mist in the air as the dewpoint was fairly high.

Sun’s glow over horse farm country

Horse farm as seen from Walnut Hill Road near Lexington

Horse grazing peacefully in the morning

Misty morning in horse farm country

Beautiful barn scene

And of course, this is the season of the lilies. Right around June is when all of the day lilies are in bloom and they come in many colors and varieties. Here are just a few.

Day lilies getting ready to bloom early in the morning

Purple day lilies

Red ones too

And some yellow ones

Wildflowers

A white daisy

Herry the Great Blue Heron

I love nature. I get joy points for nature. And this morning, I wished myself a happy Father’s Day as I enjoyed the drive, the nature, and my buddy Herry.

Throughout my travels I took over 3000 photos in 2014. Many are travel and quirky things, but there were a number of nature photos I took while on the road as well as right here at home in Lexington. I have grown to love nature…watching squirrels play in the trees, watching geese fly overhead, gaining joy points from a sunrise. Herein are my ten favorite nature shots from 2014 and the stories behind them (and a few honorable mentions).

NUMBER 1 – BLUE HERON AT SUNRISE

Blue Heron at Sunrise

This shot was captured only a few miles from my house on a late spring morning. I frequent Jacobson Park on nice mornings after dropping my wife off at work at the University of Kentucky. I like the lake there and the wildlife and the sunrises on partly cloudy days. This silhouette of the heron against the bright orange lake was one of many “lucky shots” for me in 2014.

NUMBER 2 – THE SNOWBALL SQUIRREL

The Snowball Squirrel

Many of my Facebook friends have seen this shot of a squirrel that looks angry and appears to be getting ready to chuck a snowball at me. This little guy was frolicking in our front yard after an overnight snow in February and I took about 20 photos. As I began reviewing them, I was delighted to a chuckle to see this shot!

NUMBER 3 – MAGNIFICENT SUNRISE

Magnificent Sunrise

There are many mornings that I am able to catch the sunrise after dropping of my wife. On this particular fall morning in October I caught the magnificent glow behind the clouds. I had to drive through a couple of neighborhoods as I saw it coming up. To my good fortune, I came to a clearing and was able to get seven or eight nice shots.

NUMBER 4 – SPIDER WEB IN SPRING

Spider Web in Spring

On one trip to Jacobson Park, I came across this droplet enhanced spider web. I love Spider Art!!

NUMBER 5 – PELICANS

Pelicans

In June I took a trip to Galveston, Texas and became fascinated by the brown pelicans (see my blog post). They flew gracefully, in very specific formations and in synchronized flight. I took this shot while sitting on the beach relaxing…a rarity for me in my travels. But, mind you, I was there for a family reunion and we were all at the beach. Love the pelicans.

NUMBER 6 – WATERCOLOR SKY

Watercolor Sky

My good friend Antsy McClain has a song entitled Watercolor Sky (unreleased on any albums – I have a demo version). When I see skies like this it reminds me of the title, though the song is about a broken up love relationship. “We cut our way through evergreens that stood a mile high, through a patchwork quilt of farmland and a watercolor sky.” I love to look at the skies as I drive through the evergreens, the mountains and the patchwork quilts of farmland. This photo was taken in Lexington, ironically.

NUMBER 7 – THE BEARTOOTHS

The Beartooths

I fulfilled a life long dream on Memorial Day weekend in 2014 as I got to drive the Beartooth Scenic Highway in north central Wyoming. These mountains are spectacular (see my blog post) and my photography could never do them justice.

NUMBER 8 – ANTELOPE CONVENTION

Antelope Convention

On my trip through Wyoming (see my blog post) I ran into a herd of about 10 antelope on the side of the road. I stopped, stayed in the car with the window open and took about 30 photos of these beautiful animals. Apparently, in Wyoming they outnumber people. After a while they all gracefully sped away…they are the fastest land mammals in North America.

NUMBER 9 – BIG SKY COUNTRY

Big Sky Country

As I drove on US 89 heading south in Montana, I caught this expansive view of clouds over the plains. The dark clouds and blue sky are so Montana….

NUMBER 10 – SUNRISE

Sunrise

This was an amazing fall sunrise I captured one late October morning in Lexington. I could see it peaking as I headed down Richmond Rd and found a place where I could pull off. The clouds intensified it. As I look at this it reminds me of woodblock drawings from 1600 Japan…the land of the Rising Sun.

HONORABLE MENTION

I have a few more shots I wanted to include in this post….other shots I am proud of.

As I have traveled the country and even remained at home, I have fallen in love with nature and the glorious creations of God. Despite my penchant for visiting quirky and offbeat roadside attractions, it is the wonders of nature that enthrall me on the road and even in my own home town.

A bee doing its job with the lilacs in my back yard

Back in February I wrote a post about my favorite Animal Photos, but nature is not just about animals and birds and insects. It is also about sunrises, sunsets, trees, clouds, flowers and more. Nature gives me a better challenge to learn photography and manage my skills.

Autumn Colors on a horse farm near Lexington, KY

Living in Lexington, Kentucky offers me the opportunity to enjoy four real seasons…flowers in the spring, fall colors, nice summers and the occasional snows and ice of the winter. Everyday can provide a wondrous surprise.

Windblown icicles on a lamp in Lexington

Following are a few photos that provide a taste of nature’s glory as I have seen it through the lens of my camera.

MOUNTAINS

The Sawtooth Mountains as viewed from Stanley, Idaho

I love the mountains and perhaps one of the most breathtaking views I have ever had was taken in Stanley, Idaho on a beautiful spring afternoon. The Sawtooth Range and its jagged peaks epitomize the beauty of the Rocky Mountains to me.

Grand Tetons as seen from Driggs, Idaho

Mountains of Glacier National Park as seen from near Babb, Montana

SWAMPS

Cyprus in Caddo Lake as seen from Uncertain, Texas

Caddo Lake is the only remaining all natural lake in the state of Texas and it is also a swamp. I had an early morning visit there one February and really enjoyed the almost spooky serenity of the swamp and the moss hanging from the trees.

Caddo Lake in the morning

I learned to play with the camera a bit and with some color adjusting, I was able to make the above view of cyprus in Caddo Lake a bit more colorful.

FLOWERS AND TREES

Texas Bluebonnets mingle with Indian Paintbrushes near Cool, Texas

I love the amazing variety of colorful flowers that can be seen on the road. Driving from Weatherford, Texas to Mineral Wells, Texas in the spring, one can experience miles of flowers as seen above. A lovely experience!

A Row of Trees on farmland near Tripp, South Dakota

I love old trees. They provide protection, shade and beauty…even when leafless. One of my favorite tree photos comes from Missouri on a lonely back road.

Tree in Fog taken on a back road in Missouri

Trees are not the only plants out there though. I have discovered some awesome flower fields that are practically breathtaking, such as the tulip field and sunflower fields shown below.

Sunflowers near Seymour, Wisconsin

A tulip field on a back road near Woodstock, Ontario

And single flowers look nice as well, especially with bees on them!

Ox-Eye Daisy from McKee, KY

Bee in Flower taken in my back yard

I am also amazed at the delicate beauty of small flowers such as these below

Buckwheat flowers at Craters of the Moon. The blossoms are about the size of a US dime

Dogtooth Trillium was taken in Oxford County, Ontario

This asterisk was shot on Buckhorn Island, NY

Yellow flower shot at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho

The desert offers an amazing variety of plant life as well. I grew up around the desert never really appreciating the beauty that I now enjoy in later life. Here are a few desert photos.

This agave, also known as a “Century Plant” was shot near Sedona, Arizona in 1983

I took this Christmas cactus blossom at San Xavier del Bac in Tucson

This barrel cactus in bloom was also taken in Tucson, AZ

I really love the yucca against the white sand hills of White Sands National Monument

THE SKIES

Way above the plant life and animal life are the skies…the moon, the sun, the clouds. These too offer some life enhancing views.

I got this moon shot on March 19 late in the evening. This was its color. It was awe inspiring. Taken in Lexington, KY

I also took this on March 19 in the morning. It is the sun behind the clouds using the blue tinted glass from inside my car. Taken in Lexington, KY

This is a shot of the moon in the morning after the sun came up in Lexington

The sun rises in Lexington with a wondrous glow

And the clouds provide more fun viewing on their own. Here are a few shots taken while I drove around town in Lexington…

Wispy clouds on a winter morning, taken in February 2014

Cloud furrows? I saw these clouds one morning while filling up with gas.

I am still amazed at the formation. I wonder how these clouds could have formed these furrows so evenly.

Though I am mainly known for my travel blogs and photography, over the years through my travels and at parks with the grandchildren and even at home in my own backyard, I have had the opportunity to capture some fun images of animals and birds. This post will present a few of my favorites and the stories behind them. I hope that you will enjoy this little “animal tour.”

A blue heron in flight over the Kentucky River, near Shakertown

I have always loved watching animals and birds. And it seems that as I have gotten older, this fascination has grown deeper. Here are few stories and photos of some of the animals I have come across, broken down by animals, birds and insects.

LARGE ANIMALS FROM ALL OVER

Antelope Family – A doe and her two calves scamper across grassland in central Colorado

The photo at the top of the page along with the one directly above depicts North America’s fasted land animal, the pronghorn antelope. Throughout the years I have seen thousands of these, mainly in Montana, Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming. I can recall seeing herds of them in southern Wyoming in the miud-1970s when I drive from Vernal, UT to Rock Springs, WY on business. I captured the photo of the four antelope at the top while driving from Miles City, Montana through the prairies to Shelby, Montana in March 2013. There were actually about 8 or 9 along the side of the two lane highway. I had to whip the camera out quickly to grab this lucky shot. It is truly one of my favorites. The other shot was taken in June 2013 on a road trip from Idaho Falls, ID to Dallas, TX. I was north of Craig, Colorado on a two lane highway through the mountains. This was captured with my telephoto lens as I took about 20 shots of them speeding across the grass.

Elk in Oregon

I captured this shot of an elk relaxing in Western Oregon, west of aptly named Elton, Oregon. This elk was roaming freely on an Elk Reserve with about 30 head. I have seen similar reserves in Rexburg, Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming. I have rarely seen an elk in the wild and usually it is cow. The bulls are more difficult.

Toothy grin from Pecos Bill the Longhorn Bull – Fort Worth, Texas

Speaking of bulls, I got this shot of “Pecos Bill” the longhorn while visiting my sister in Fort Worth. We went to the stockyards and this huge bull was being ridden down the street by a cowboy. People can then pay this cowboy and have their photo taken while sitting on the bull. No thank you….

On a separate trip for work to the DFW Metroplex, I had a weekend to spend with my sister and her family and we took a drive to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. This is a great place to see wildlife up close, and that is what we got with one of the giraffes! We even had him licking us through the window with his long black tongue!! (See full details in my blog post here)

An upclose shot of a giraffe at Fossil Rim

Fossil Rim offered the opportunity to see other animals such as zebra, oryx, Asian deer, cheetahs, rhinoceros and a variety of big birds (see below).

Horsing Around in the snow near Versailles, Kentucky

I live in Lexington, Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World. I have plenty of photos of horses grazing in the fields, but this is one of my favorites as a galloping horse eyed me during a photo shoot on a snowy winter morning in Woodford County. About a dozen horses were racing around in the field and a got a number of other good shots.

Amish-owned horse in Charm, Ohio

I got the horse above while visiting the Amish Community of Charm in Ohio. This horse was attached to one of the Amish Buggies and was parked by a shop.

Crazy Donkey seen on a back road near Winchester, KY

One nice spring morning I took a back roads drive with my wife and we came across this mule who stared at us and looked almost crazy. Couldn’t resist snapping a couple of shots. Indeed, horses are not the only four-legged equine in Kentucky.

Bison in Yellowstone

Of course, how can I leave out the amazing Bison. Though typically also called buffalo, they are actually really bison. I got this photo of wild bison grazing in Yellowstone National Park. It was one of dozens of shots I got that day, including one of a HUGE bison that walked right by my car and had to be over six feet tall. It was an amazing animal!!

SMALLER CRITTERS

Priairie Dog at Badlands National Park, South Dakota

There are also lots of smaller animals to be seen in travels and even in my own yard. One of my most endearing photos was taken at Cactus Flats, South Dakota, near the Badlands National Park. I saw this mother coddling her young. I took about 20 shots and this one really was an “Awwww” moment for me as she hugged her babies.

Prairie Dog Mama cuddling her kids at Cactus Flats, SD

Of course, one of the most commonly seen little critter is the squirrel. I have seen a number of varieties on the road, including black squirrels, red squirrels and gray squirrels. I see dozens around my house, which I think are actually Fox Squirrels. In fact, I got some great shots of them playing in the trees on a winter morning a couple of days ago (as I write this…)

Fox Squirrels playing in a tree

The Fox Squirrel is the largest species of tree squirrel in North America. They love our neighborhood because of the abundance of nut-producing pin oak trees.

A squirrel perches on my back yard deck

The little guys love to visit our deck (as do many birds – see below). I always try to keep my camera handy at the table as quite often these guys will appear, as did this one above.

Angry Squirrel at home in Kentucky

I have posted this photo before, but need to include it here. I took nearly 40 shots of this squirrel poking around in the snow in my front yard in early February 2014. They were consecutive shots, so I didn’t see this shot until I went through all the photos. I had to crop it and blow it up a bit, but it was an awesome (and lucky) shot. It almost appears that he is angry and getting ready to heave a snowball at me!

Red Squirrel in Nebraska City, NE

I got about 10 shots of this red squirrel in Nebraska City, Nebraska in late 2013. He was obviously prepping for the winter, but I thought his mouth full of nuts was priceless.

Fox in Grand Tetons, Wyoming

I was on a business trip in Rexburg, Idaho in March 2013 and one weekend I took a trip to the Grand Tetons National Park. Not all of it was open since there was so much snow. But on one side road I caught this fox diving for mice in the snow. He stopped for a moment to pose for me. Another lucky shot taken with my zoom lens.

Meerkat at Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska

I was in Omaha for the 2012 USA Swimming Olympic Qualifying events and we were broadcasting some of the events. As part of the broadcast pieces we featured some scenes from Omaha, including the Henry Doorly Zoo. It is famous for the big dome that houses their desert wildlife, including the meerkats. The one above practically posed for me. I swear he was smiling for the camera!!

Dog in Black Mountain, KY

And, for the last of the animals is this happy little dog that my wife and I came across on a trek we made into southeastern Kentucky. We made our way up to the top of Black Mountain, the highest point in the state and there were some other folks up there. They had this dog in a basket in their motorcycle. He seemed pleased as punch to have an opportunity to Enjoy the Ride!

BIG BIRDS, LITTLE BIRDS

Emu at Glen Rose, Texas

I have a real fascination with birds and love watching them and love photographing them. I probably have over 2000 bird photos I have taken and I’m only adding a few of them herein, including the Emu above, which was taken at Fossil Rim Animal Park in Glen Rose, Texas. I also got the angry ostrich below at the same location.

Angry Ostrich at Fossil Rim Animal Park in Glen Rose, TX

Seems like everywhere I go I can see ducks and geese, but only once did I get the opportunity to see a group of duck hatchlings in Georgetown, KY during a fall visit to Evans Orchard. Talk about adorable!!

Duck Hatchlings at Evans Orchard in Georgetown

Then the ducks grow up to be quackers!! They have their own dynasty!! I took the shot below at Jacobson Park on an icy winter day. The ducks seemed to enjoy it.

Duck Dynasty at Jacobson Lake in Lexington, KY

One of the beautiful sites we see here in Kentucky are geese in flight as they migrate north and south. Many fly right over our house. Here are a couple of geese shots that I am proud of.

A solitary Canadian goose glides in the sky above my house in Feb. 2009

Geese flying south taken in the skies of Lexington in February 2014

While on the subject of big birds, one of my all time favorites is of the girl staring down a swan at Victoria Lake in Stratford, Ontario. I was visiting the park and taking photos of the beautiful swans when I got lucky with this shot, taken in 2008.

Stare Down – taken at Victoria Lake in Stratford, Ontario

On a visit to Idaho Falls, Idaho I happened upon an amazing sight…seagulls and geese fighting over bread. With camera in hand I got some fabulous shots. Here is the best of “The Fight”, taken in April 2013.

The Fight – Seagulls and a Goose fight over bread in Idaho Falls, Idaho

This party is for the birds – geese, ducks and seagulls socialize in Idaho Falls

I frequent Jacobson Park in Lexington during the summer with my grandchildren. I always have camera in hand. I got a great shot of ducks taking flight one afternoon. Ironically, my grandchildren were the source of this as they were chasing the ducks around. I love this shot because there are three others below all staring at me. It was an awesome shot (if I say so myself)

Ducks in flight at Jacobson Park in Lexington, KY

Speaking of seagulls, I have photographed them in Oregon, on the east coast and a myriad of places in between. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Seagull – Idaho Falls, Idaho

Seagull in flight over Oregon Dunes in Oregon

Seagull in flight over Egg Harbor, Wisconsin

I was returning to Kentucky with my wife after a visit with my daughter’s family in Montana. As we traveled in southern Montana, near the small town of Dell, I had hoped to take a back road to see some of the bison on Ted Turner’s expansive ranch off of I-15. While casually driving down a dirt road overlooking the ranch I heard an eerie bird sound, almost a screeching sound, that I had never heard. I grabbed my camera as I saw two birds in flight. I took about 30 shots. The one below shocked me after I was able to sit down and review the photos. What I saw were red-crested sand cranes in flight. It was beautiful…

Sand Cranes in flight over the prairies of southern Montana, taken April 2013

On another trip west in 2013, I was traveling across South Dakota on the Oyate Trail (US Hwys 50 and 18). As I drove by Lake Andes, just a few mile north of the Nebraska border I saw a flock of white birds sitting in the lake. I made my way into the town of Lake Andes and found that there was a park by the lake and the birds were all flocked on the park side of the shore. I got as close as I could and was beyond joy to see a flock of pelicans. Once again, I took a couple dozen shots of these beautiful birds. Here is my favorite.

Pelicans on Lake Andes in South Dakota

Water birds are not the only big birds I have come across in my travels. On a trip in Montana I was just coming into Lewsiville when I spotted a bald eagle in a rare spot on the ground in a field, obviously looking for mice. I had to stop and turn around and hoped that it would stay in place, which it did.

Bald eagle rests in a field near Lewisville, Montana

One Sunday I accompanied my wife on a church calling into the small town of McKee in central Kentucky. On the way home we took a couple of back roads (my joy!) and came across these three turkey vultures guarding their prey. They stood firm!

Turkey vultures and dinner near McKee, KY taken in spring 2013

But the all-time favorite big bird of mine is the lovely and graceful Blue Heron. I have even nicknamed them “Herry” every time I see one. At the top of this post I caught one gliding above the Kentucky River near Shakertown. I also see them often at Jacobson Lake in Lexington. Here is one of my favorites. ( I will likely do a complete post just on these birds in the near future).

Blue Heron at Jacobson Lake

Blue Heron in Flight at Jacobson Lake in Lexington

Of the large birds, I must include one more. A few years ago we took a trip to the Cincinnati Zoo with my grand children. While there I had the opportunity to get some close shot of a peacock. Voila….

Peacock at Cincinnati Zoo

Then there are the smaller birds that hang around the neighborhood. Here are a few of them